Joel Ajayi
Presidential Adviser on Public Communications, Sunday Dare, has called on local government councils across Nigeria to embrace Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) as a catalyst for sustainable grassroots development, describing President Bola Tinubu’s local government autonomy policy as a landmark reform that can transform governance at the grassroots.
Dare made the call on Wednesday while delivering a lecture at the Gazelle Media Annual Lecture in Lagos, where he stressed that PPPs should be seen not merely as financing mechanisms for large infrastructure projects but as an inclusive governance model that brings together government, the private sector, civil society and local communities to deliver sustainable development.
He said the recent local government autonomy under the Tinubu administration is one of the most significant governance reforms in Nigeria’s democratic history, as it has restored the capacity of the country’s 774 local government councils to independently plan and execute development projects closer to the people.
According to him, financial autonomy must go beyond direct allocation of funds to local councils and translate into greater transparency, stronger accountability, improved service delivery and meaningful collaboration with communities and the private sector.
“Only then will autonomy achieve its true purpose of improving the daily lives of Nigerians,” Dare said.
He noted that effective partnerships with the private sector would help bridge funding gaps, improve project implementation, stimulate innovation, create employment opportunities and rebuild public confidence in governance through visible development outcomes.
While acknowledging the enormous potential of PPPs, Dare identified weak institutional capacity, lack of transparency, policy inconsistency, public distrust and political discontinuity as major challenges hindering their effectiveness at the grassroots level.
He urged local government administrators to build stronger partnerships with private investors and development stakeholders in order to unlock sustainable growth and improve the quality of life in communities across the country.
Dare maintained that Nigeria’s greatest development opportunity lies not only in Abuja or the state capitals but in its wards, villages and towns.
“That is where governance must be felt, and where prosperity must begin,” he stated.
